Divided semi-automatic signal-lever.



w. K. HOWE. DIVIDED SEMI-AUTOMATIC SIGNAL LEVER.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 19, 1912.

.lNVE/VTOR. W 7 M By I WATTORNE Patented July 14, 1914.

M w 6 m an m bh Wm S .Q 2 z 2 k THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D C.

earn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINTHROP KEITH HOWE, OF ROCHESTER, NLJiV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL RAIL- WAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF GATES, NE'W SZURK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DIVIDED SEMI-AUTOMATIC SIGNAL-LEVER.

nioaeoe.

Application filed January 19, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVINTHROP KEITH Howe, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Divided Semi-Automatic Signal-Lever, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric interlocking systems and particularly to an arrangement and combination of devices for controlling a semi-automatic dynamic return indication signal.

The primary object of this invention is to so construct a lever and so arrange the connections between the lever and semi-automatic signal, that a return indication may be received at the lever, by means of the ordinary and Well known form of indication mechanism, caused by a current of electricity generated by. the signal in returning to the danger position when such signal returns to the danger position by reason of the entrance of a train upon the track section controlled by the signal.

It is impossible, practically, tocontrol the ordinary type of automatic signal in the manner which is commonly known as semiautomatically. This impossibility is due to the fact that the signal in returning to clanger position on account of the entrance of a train upon the track section controlled by the signal. does not generate an indication current for the reason that the lever in the interlocking machine controlling the signal is at that time in the wrong position to close the indication circuit. Heretofore electrically operated signals, not suitable for use as an automatic signal have been controlled semi-automatically by means of the ordinary and well known type of lever as employed in the all electric interlocking system and heretofore electrically operated signals suitable for use as automatic signals have been controlled in an all electric interlocking system by means of a lever so constructed and arranged that a change in the ordinary and well known form of indication mechanism as used in electric interlocking systems, was necessary. It is eX- tremely desirable for many reasons, pertectly obvious, to have one type of signal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 191%.

Serial No. 672,070.

mechanism suitable for use as a manually controlled signal, as a semi-automatically controlled signal and as an automatically controlled signal and it is also desirable to have one uniform indication mechanism for use with both a manually'controlled signal and with a semi-automatically controlled signal. Applicants invention supplies the above mentioned want, for by it a signal which is suitable for all the ordinary types of control may be used in connection with a lever which is governed by the ordinary and well known type of indication mechanism, consequently on a railroad which employs one type of signal both as an automatic signal and as a manuallyv controlled signal, the same signal may be employed as a semi-automatic signal by merely. changing the less complicated parts of the interlocking machine used for governing the manually controlled signal, to-wit: the lever or slide.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing which shows a preferred form of applicants invention, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, of a lever, together with associated parts. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the lever of applicants invention together with the associated signaling circuits. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the lever and its guide. as shown in Fig. 1, on the line AB, looking in the direction of the arrow a. Fig. i is a view in cross section of the lever as shown in Fig. 1, on the line CD, look ing in the direction of the arrow (2.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

1, designates a lever or slide, formed in two parts, 2 and 3 abutting each other at the line 4L. The part 2 contains the cam slot 5, which, by proper connection, is adapted to actuate a tappet controlling mechani- ,with the projection 10, fastened to the part 3. The part 2 also carries the electromagnet 11. ported and guided by the lever guide 12, which bears the indication mechanism con sisting of a latch 13 supported by a pin 14, attached to the lever guide 12; a dog 15 supported by a pin 16, fastened to the lever guide; a cam 17 supported by the pin 18, fastened to the lever guide 12; and the indication magnet 19 whichhas an armature 20, to which is fastened a rod 21. The latch 13 is spring held in the position shown by the spring 22, fastened at 23 to the lever guide 12. The cam 17 is adapted to be moved into two. positions and be held therein resiliently by means of spring 24. The portion 3 of the lever 1 has the shoulders 25,26, 27, 28, 29, and '31.

NVhen all of the parts are in the normal posit on, they are as shown in Fig. 1, out if both partsof the lever are moved to the reverse indication position, the shoulder 26 will engage with the left hand end of the latch 13, thereby raising the right hand end of the latch so that it will lie in the path of the shoulder 30, and the shoulder 30 when passing cam 17 will. engage with the tooth thereof, rotate the cam and cause the lefthand end to engage with the upper end of dog 15 forcing it under theright hand end of latch 13 if ithas not already moved to such position by virtue of spring 22 so as to. holdthc latch in the moved position, so that shoulder 30, after engaging with :the right hand end of thelatch 13, may not push latch 13 down out of the way. The parts being in the position asdescribed, an energization of indication magnet 19 will cause armature 20. to be raised, carrying with it.

rod 21, the upper end of which will strike the lower arm of dog 15 and force it from under the right hand end of latch 13, thereby allowing 'the shoulder 30 to force the latch 13 down out of the way and allow the lever to be moved to the full reverse position. The shoulders upon the member 3, the latch 13, the dog 15, the pin 18, the indicatirn magnet 19, the armature 20, and rod 21 are all fully shown described and claimed in Patent #752,127, grantedto John D.'Taylor, February 16,1904.

The. lever guide12 at its extreme right ends, bears the pin 32, having the lever 33 mounted thereon, and also has the pin 34 adapted to contact with one arm of the lever. 33 when the lever isin theeXtreme position as shown in Fig. 1. The upper arm of the lever extends 111130. a recess 35 of the part 3 of the lever and bears against a pin 36 attached to the part 3. The lower Both portions of the lever are sup-' the lever tending to return it to the normal position as shown, but as well understood by those skilled in the art of railway signaling, and as fully explained in the patent above referred to, if a lever of the type described should be moved from the reverse position toward the normal position, it

also take place and after the indication had.

been received the part 3 of the lever would be returned to the position as shown in Fig. 1, by virtue of the-action of the weight 37 upon the pin 36 through the intermediary of the lever 33. l

In Fig. 3, a cross section upon the line A,B of Fig. 1, is shown, in which the lever guide 12 is shown, and also the other half ofv the lever guide 39, not shown inFig. 1.

In Fig. 4, a cross section ofthe lever and its guide as shown in Fig. 1, is shown. 1

Referring to Fig. 2, 410 and 4:1 designate two rails of ;a railway track; 12 and 4:3 insulations at either end separating the rails electrically from the remaining .portions of the track; lt, a source of current connected across the rails at one end; 4.5 a relay connected across the rails at the otherend; 45

designates generally a semaphore mechanism; 47 a source ofcurrent; d8 a rod con- .nected to the part '3 of the leverbar and conducting block 4-9, which is adapted to connect springs 50 and 51 in the position shown and when the lever is in the reverse indication or full reverse position, to connect springs 52 and 53.

With all of the parts in the position as shown in Fig. 2, current fiows from the p'osi tive side of battery 47 by means of wires 5% and 55, tl'lrough relay 'coil 11. to wire 56, armature 57 and wires 58, 59,1and 60, to the negative terminal of the battery. Current flowing in the above traced path energizes electromagnet 11 and causes armature.

9 attached to latch 8 to be firmly held in position so that when the part 20f the lever 1 is moved by grasping and pulling upon the handle 61, both .parts of the lever will move together. This above circuit will be closed just so long as no train stands upon the rails 40 and 41 for reasons well known If with all the parts as springs 52 and 53, and current will then flow in the following path; positive terminal of the battery 47, wires 54 and 62, spring 53, block 49, spring wires 63 and 6.4; to the fixed contact strip 65 andthen by means of the movable contact strip 66, which. moves in unison with the semaphore arm 67 to fixed contact 68 and through wire 69, field 70, wire 71, field 72, wire 73, brush 74, armature 7 5, brush 76, and wires 77, 59, and 60 to the negative terminal of the battery. Current flowing in the above traced path will cause the armature 75 to revolve and move the semaphore arm 67 to an operated aspect, at which time the movable contact 78, movii'ig in unison with the semaphore will make contact between fixed contact strip 79 and fixed contact strip 80, and at the same time movable contact strip 66 will move out of contact with fixed contact 68, so that the current will then flow from wire 63 to wire 81, fixed contact 79, movablecontact 78, fixed contact 80, through wire 82, field 83, wire 84, field 85, field 70', wire 71, field 72, wire 73, brush 74, armature 75, brush 76 and wires 77 59 and 60 to the negative terminal of the battery. In a manner well understood by those skilled in the art, the semaphore 67 Wlll be held in the full clear position by current flowing in the last de scribed path, and the lever 1, will be in the full reverse position as both parts of the lever are held together by means of latch 8 and the weight 37 cannot move the lever when released by the hand from its full reversed position as when both parts of the lever are connected together by latch 8, the part 2 of the lever is held in the reverse position by the latch 86 bearing against any suitable stationary member, as 90 therefore the two parts being held firmly together and one part being held from movement, no movement of the lever as a whole can take place.

If a train should enter upon the rails 40 and ll while the semaphore was in an operated aspect and the lever was in the reverse position, as described, the relay 15 would be deenergized and armature 57 would drop, thereby breaking the circuit through electromagnet 11, thus allowing latch 8 to slip over projection 10, if force is exerted upon the member 3 to move it in the direction of the arrow 0, Fig. 1, and such force would be exerted by the weight 37 acting through the lever 33 and pin 36. The part3, in moving in the direction of the arrow 0, by reason of weight 37, would, in the well known manner he stopped at the normal indication position, and would also cause the block 49 to contact springs 50 and 51. The movement of block 49 from between springs 52 and 53 would break the circuit, holding the signal in the operated position, consequently,

the signal, by reason of its bias, would move toward the biased'position and in so doing, in a manner well understood, would generate a current which, by reason of the fact that springs 50 and 51 are connected together, would flow in the following path: armature 75, brush 76, wires 77, 59 and 87, indication magnet 19, wire 88, brush 51, block 59, brush 50, wire 89, Wire 63, wire 64:, fixed contact 65, movable contact 66, which, by the movement of the semaphore to the biased position has moved to the position shown, fixed contact 68, wire 69, field 70, wire 71, field 72, wire 73 and brush 74- to the other terminal of the armature. The current generated by the armature 75, by flowing in the path traced above, would energize indication magnet 19, and release latch 13 from in contact with shoulder 29, whereupon the weight 37, acting through lever 33 and pin 36, would return the part 3 to the full normal position. At any time thereafter, the operator may return the part. 2 of the lever 1 into contact with the part 3 ready for another operation, but until such return no conflicting signals can be cleared, as the mechanical locking would interfere.

It must be readily seen that if a train is upon the rails 40 and 41, the armature 57 would be dropped, consequently the electromagnet 11 would be deenergized and a pull upon lever 1 would only result in moving the part 2, although the part 2 could be moved from the full normal position as shown to the full reverse position, no nude sired results could arise for the mechanical locking would be thereby actuated and, consequently, signals overning movements opposed to semaphore 67, could not be cleared. It is to be understood, of course, that if no train is present upon the rails 40 and 41 the lever 1 could be operated in the same manner as the lever described in the patent to Taylor above mentioned.

Having thus explained the principle of my invention and described one specific embodiment thereof, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an interlocking system, a lever adapted for movement between a normal and a reverse position and formed in two parts, mechanical locking, cotiperating means attached to each part including an electro' magnet for holding the parts together, one of said parts having means for operating said mechanical locking indication mechanism associated with the other part and means constantly tending to move the said other part to normal position.

2. In an electric interlocking system, a source of current, a signal having an operated and a biased aspect, means including a manually operated device to complete a e a f tieaaqd.

' circuit 'fpom said squnce throughvsaid signal ally controlled device to automatically indito cause said signal to assumeian; operated cate a return of the signal to biased position aspect, means connected with sa d manually on account of the breaking of the circuit.

operated devicetoblfeaksaid circuit, a track VVINTHROP KEITH HOWE. circuit section including a translating de- Witnesses:

viceiforcausingsaid means to automatically LILLIAN L. PHILLIPS,

act, and means connected with the =manu- MARY G. DALBEY.

391 thislpatflnt maybe o taiflfififor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents.

' Washington, D. G. 

